Britain hopes £7.3M will help electric and hydrogen aircraft take off
Government finds some loose change down to chuck at emission-free flight research
The UK is stumping up a modest £7.3 million ($9.7 million) to develop the infrastructure needed for electric and hydrogen-powered flight.
The Department for Transport (DfT) says the money will be shared among eight projects covering airport charging, hydrogen storage, and flight demonstrations.
The funding forms part of a wider £43 million ($57 million) package for next-generation aviation technology, according to the DfT, although it remains small potatoes for potentially important future technologies.
One project is led by Bristol-based Vertical Aerospace, developer of the Valo electric flying taxi.
At the Farnborough International Airshow last week, its VX4 prototype publicly demonstrated the transition from helicopter-style vertical flight to airplane mode and back again. This involves half of its eight propellers swiveling from a vertical lift to a forward propulsion position.
The aircraft is designed for human pilots and...
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